York City manager's delight at Monday play-off tie

YORK City manager Nigel Worthington is delighted that Saturday’s postponed play-off home clash with Fleetwood was re-arranged for tonight.

The decision, made by the Football League, means the Minstermen can already claim a minor victory over their Sky Bet League Two opponents before a ball has even been kicked in the two-legged, semi-final tie.

Fleetwood had wanted the game to be rescheduled for tomorrow evening but Worthington was insistent it should be played this evening and was pleased when the new date was confirmed swiftly after referee Carl Boyeson called the original match off at 7.45pm on Saturday night due to a waterlogged pitch.

The City boss said: “I wanted the game to be played tonight to give us the extra day of recovery time before the second leg. Both clubs wanted a quick decision and we got that.

“Fleetwood wanted Tuesday but we held firm. They were probably looking at the travelling involved for them but we are the home team and the Football League made a sensible decision with that one.”

Worthington added that the postponement will not have an adverse impact on his players’ readiness for the first-leg meeting.

“We were disappointed that the game did not go ahead because, as players, coaches and managers, you build yourself up for it,” he explained.

“But we trained yesterday to just keep things ticking over and are looking forward to the match now. It will not have affected our preparations.”

Hull official Boyeson initially delayed the 7.30pm kick off by half-an-hour to give Saturday’s match a chance of starting.

But further heavy rain saw him eventually call the game off at 7.45pm with the surface severely saturated.

Worthington had little argument with that decision either, reasoning: “Our ground staff worked very hard to get the game on and we wanted it on but, unfortunately, it was beyond our control and there was absolutely nothing we could have done about it. We haven’t had a game postponed at Bootham Crescent this season, including on days when lots of others have been all over the country and, right through to 1pm (on Saturday), the pitch looked magnificent but then the torrential rain just kept coming.”

City’s team sheet for Saturday’s match revealed that on-loan Preston winger Will Hayhurst would have replaced midfielder Lewis Montrose for the hosts – the one change from the side that started during the previous weekend’s 2-2 draw at Scunthorpe.

Worthington is expected to field the same first XI again for tonight’s encounter, which kicks off at 7.45pm.

Comments

Some old bloke
12:19pm Mon 12 May 14

I'm not sure if it was really necessary to announce this 'victory' regarding the revised date. Why not just accept the league's decision and get on with it? Or is NW playing mind games?
I hope all the City fans who got here from Brighton, Scotland, etc can make it again - great effort to get here once, never mind twice. I think this is the first time I've ever been more nervous about the weather than City's performance.
COYR

I'm not sure if it was really necessary to announce this 'victory' regarding the revised date. Why not just accept the league's decision and get on with it? Or is NW playing mind games?
I hope all the City fans who got here from Brighton, Scotland, etc can make it again - great effort to get here once, never mind twice. I think this is the first time I've ever been more nervous about the weather than City's performance.
COYRSome old bloke

I'm not sure if it was really necessary to announce this 'victory' regarding the revised date. Why not just accept the league's decision and get on with it? Or is NW playing mind games?
I hope all the City fans who got here from Brighton, Scotland, etc can make it again - great effort to get here once, never mind twice. I think this is the first time I've ever been more nervous about the weather than City's performance.
COYR

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